The page matrix comes as a direct continuation of the grid because a large part of creating a functional matrix is based upon the grid itself. A page matrix is the style sheet of an entire visual communication design project. When you design a multiple page document, and as mentioned previously the bulk of your design output will consist of multiple page projects, you have to make global decisions that will be carried through in your entire project. There are numerous elements that have to be taken into account and the following is a list of what these are:

01// The Grid, as indicated in the previous link (# 06), is of paramount importance. Grids have to be set up for all graphic design projects to ensure alignment and continuity. There are cases where the grid can be broken, i.e. elements be put on a page that disregard, or rather transcend, the structure of the grid, but even in these layouts the grid is initially present. Multimedia/web projects need different grid systems from printed matter and will be dealt with at a later stage (# 14). For printed pages grids are set up as mentioned in # 06, with page gutters, column gutters and margins. Columns are designed to be equal of width and can be joined and combined very much the same way that modular furniture can be joined. Pages can have any number of columns that can be placed in any way (link 01) on a page - provided you stick to this decision consistently throughout your project. However the most commonly used formats are 3 and 4 column pages and a combination of these two numbers (link 02), since this grid system allows for a maximum number of combinations.

Bear in mind that having a grid does not mean that the entire page has to be filled with information, i.e. be positive! Only you know the grid is there and large amounts of space on the page can, and if at all possible, should be negative. It is only when you place informational elements on the page that the grid comes into play. The following samples are magazine layouts created by my former students, Orçun Göğüş (link 01), Duygu Dağ (link 02) and Başak Alper (link 03) that show the usage of the invisible grid and positive/negative space.

02// Type faces and fonts have to be decided upon for the entire project whilst designing the matrix. In a multiple page project consistency in typefaces is almost as important as the grid. Your typeface selection can be low-keyed as in Kürşat Fatih Özenç's semantics series (link 01), or completely off the wall as in Hande Çayır's magazine design where the first image also shows you the grid (link 02), or based on strictly generic fonts as is the case with Fatih Polat's editorial study on typography (link 03):

03// Vectors, shapes and colour scheme also have to be consistent throughout a design project. The following three magazine layouts carry this consistency by means of three different shape and colour schemes: Hande Varsat utilises horizontal stripes, that are inspired by selected type on computer applications and a vibrant colour scheme (link 01). Deniz Erk's layouts have a much softer colour palette and sensuous curvilinear shapes, inside of which she embeds her images (link 02). Sıla Ünlü (link 03) sticks to a predominatly black and white colour scheme, offset by small amounts of colour, which complements her sumi-e inspired brushstrokes.

04// Images and the way we used them should also be consistent throughout a project. There are an untold number of ways in which images can be created as well as processed, and you simply cannot use them all as elements of one project. Are you going to crop your images? Use them as backgrounds? Bleed them off the page? Do heavy duty image processing with masks and channels? Which, if any, plugins are you going to use? Furthermore, what is the actual visual content going to be: Vectors? Wireframes? 3D screenshots? If photographs, close-ups or panorama shots? Soft lit or contrast? Are you going to colorize your visual material? Is it going to be full colour, duotones or black and white? And most importantly, since type is the boss, how are they going to interact with the type: Overlays? Layerstyles? Embedded? Pasted into the type? These are just some of the options and you will clearly have to narrow them down - drastically. Obviously you will use combinations of the above options as well as combinations with shapes and flat/gradient colours, but at the end of the day, your choices will have to be limited to a judicious combination. The three series of layout give very good pointers as to how images can be used consistently throughout a project, especiall in combination with typography. Bertan Kılıçcıoğlu (link 01), whose first image also shows us his grid, used very softly blended photographs that create an almost watercolour effect for the feature pages of his magazine layout and went for a complete change of pace for his department spreads where he used straight forward crpos, some of which he placed at a 90 degree angle. Pınar Paçacıoğlu (link 02) shows us in this poster series how type, vectors and photographs can be combined into meaningful clusters with the aid of plenty of negative space. Finally, Zeynep Günel (link 03) amazes us by the combination of line drawings, vectors, type and photography.

Let us now continue to see how all these elements that constitute the matrix are created and brought together >>>.